Woman sentenced to prison in death of foster child

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Southern California woman convicted of fatally beating her 2-year-old foster daughter has been sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office says a motion filed at the sentencing of 34-year-old Kiana Barker said the victim suffered blunt force trauma caused by repeated blows.

Barker was found guilty by a jury in October of second-degree murder, assault on a child causing death and child abuse. Jurors also found true allegations of the use of a deadly and dangerous weapon, a belt.

Prosecutors said the child, identified in court documents as Viola V., died from massive bleeding in her chest cavity.

Barker's then-boyfriend, 42-year-old James Dewitt Julian, pleaded no contest in 2011 to one felony count of accessory after the fact. He was sentenced to three years in county jail.